New SGH Emergency-NNI building opens, designed around patients' journeys
The Republic's oldest hospital, Singapore General Hospital (SGH), officially opened its new SGH Emergency/National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) building on Friday (Oct 31).Established in 1821, Singapore's first general hospital started out in a wooden shed near Bras Basah and Stamford Roads. Amongst the older generation, it is commonly referred to as "See Pai Poh" because of its 1882 relocation to Sepoy Lines along Outram Road. Fast forward to 1948, SGH established its Casualty and Outpatient Service that is today known as the Emergency Department, and the NNI later in 1999. Explaining why the two medical disciplines are housed together at the building's opening ceremony, Minister for Health Ong Ye Kung pointed out at the official opening on Friday that emergency department patients today are older and many have multiple chronic conditions."Emergency care requires thoughtful clinical judgement and careful assessment, with several specialties working together," he said.